Miniature rose plant

ABSTRACT

A hardy rose plant of the hybrid miniature class, having a vigorous growth habit, and having slightly better than average resistance to mildew, said plant producing, throughout the growing season, a profusion of well-formed buds and flowers, these latter being from about 1 inch to 11/4 inches in size and having from 22 to 28 petals plus 2 to 6 petaloids. The overall color effect of the flowers is rather uniformly coral and pink. The flowers are sterile, and do not generally set hips.

This invention relates to a hybrid miniature rose plant of the hardydwarf type. The plant is a bush outdoor seedling cultivated primarilyfor garden decoration.

The seed parent was "Gingersnap" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 4,330) and thepollen parent "Magic Carrousel" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,601). The plantwas first propagated in Ontario, Calif., and the descriptive andcomparative references to this plant and its bloom hereinafter willrelate to plants of the same class grown in this region. This varietypreserves its distinguishing characteristics through succeedingpropagations, by cuttings and budding.

This new variety is most readily distinguished from its seed parent,Gingersnap, by the combination of the following characteristics. WhereasGingersnap produces buds and flowers of a brighter orange coloration,the new rose bears buds and flowers of a coral pink colorationessentially as described and illustrated herein. Gingersnap isclassified as a hybrid floribunda, whereas the new cultivar falls intothe hybrid miniature class. The new rose has an absence of smallprickles on all stages of growth, whereas Gingersnap bears smallprickles on all growth stages. Whereas Gingersnap bears open flowers of31/4 to 4 inches in diameter, the new cultivar bears significantlysmaller open flowers of 1 to 13/4 inches in diameter.

The new variety differs from its pollen parent, Magic Carrousel, mostnotably in the following respects. Magic Carrousel produces buds andflowers of a white and red coloration, whereas the new cultivar has budsand flowers of a relatively uniform coral pink coloration, essentiallyas described and illustrated herein. Whereas the new rose bears flowersof 22 to 28 petals, Magic Carrousel bears flowers of significantlyhigher petalage (30 to 40). Whereas the new rose bears only largeprickles on all stages of growth, Magic Carrousel bears only a few largeprickles on the main stems and a few small prickles on the branches andnew shoots.

The flowers are sometimes borne singly, but usually three to five ormore to a stem in irregular rounded to pyramidal clusters on strongstems which are medium to long for miniature roses. The plant bloomsabundantly outdoors, and nearly continuously during the growing season.The blooms have a slight tea fragrance.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the plant in color and shows theflowering thereof from bud to full bloom.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon the R.H.S. Color Chart, put out by The RoyalHorticultural Society in London.

BUD

The peduncle is short to average length, heavy caliper, erect, stiff andmoderately smooth, with some stipitate glands. The color is betweenYellow Green, 146A, and Green, 137C, with a reddish blush nearRed-Purple, 60A.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is medium to large in size, forminiature roses, medium-length, pointed and ovoid, with foliaceousappendages and some stipitate glands on the surface of the bud. Usually,slender foliaceous parts extend beyond the tip of the bud one-half ormore of its length.

As the calyx breaks, the color is between Red, 43B, and Red, 43C. Theinner surface of the sepals carries a fine tomentum; margins are linedwith stipitate glands and hairs.

As the first petal opens, the bud is average in size, medium-length,pointed and ovoid. The color on the outside of the petal is between Red,50B, and Red, 42D, with a basal attachment zone of near Green-Yellow,1D. The inside surface of the petal is between Red, 43B, and Red, 42D,with a basal attachment zone of the same coloration as on the outside ofthe petal. The bud opens up well, and is not prevented from opening bycold, hot, wet or dry weather.

BLOOM

The size of the bloom when fully open is average to large, for miniatureroses, being from 1 inch to 13/4 inches in diameter. Petalage is double,with from 22 to 28 petals, plus 2 to 6 petaloids arranged regularly. Thebloom is cupped to high centered at first, becoming open to cupped. Atfirst the petals remain somewhat tightly cupped, with tips reflexedoutward, becoming later at maturity somewhat loosely cupped, with tipsreflexed outward.

The petals are medium to thick in texture, moderately leathery, withinside slightly satiny and outside slightly shiny. The outside petalsare round, with apex flat. Intermediate petals are round to broadlyobovate, while inside petals are broadly obovate to irregular. Thecolors may be modified by being shaded and/or washed with other colors.

The paragraph immediately following describes color values observed in aflower newly opened in the month of October. The plant had been grownoutdoors, in Ontario, Calif.

The outer surfaces of all petals, outside, intermediate and inside, wereall essentially the same in coloration, being between Red, 50A, and Red,46D, with a large basal attachment zone of near Green-Yellow, 1D. Theinner surfaces of all petals were essentially the same, being betweenRed, 43B, and Red, 44D, with a smaller basal attachment zone withcoloration like that of the outer surface.

The following paragraph describes color values observed in a flowerwhich had been open for three days in the month of October. The planthad been grown outdoors, in Ontario, Calif.

The outer surface of both the outside petal and the inside petal wasbetween Red, 46D, and Red, 50A, with a large basal attachment zone ofGreen-White, 157D. The inner surface of both the outside petal and theinside petal was between Red, 44D, and Red, 43C, with a smallerattachment zone with the same coloration as the outer surface.

The general color effect of the newly opened flower is between Red, 43B,and Red, 44D. The color effect was between Red, 43C, and Red, 44D, in aflower that had been three days open. The petals persist, fading to nearRed, 48D, then the peduncle separates from the stem and the aged flowerfalls off cleanly. It is not particularly affected by cold, hot, wet ordry weather.

The flower on the bush in the garden persists for from 3 to 5 days inthe month of October. Cut roses grown outdoors and kept at living-roomtemperatures persist for from 4 to 7 days in the month of October.

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

The stamens are average in number and are arranged regularly.

The filaments are medium-length, and near Green-Yellow, 1D, in color,washed lightly with Red, 51C. Most are with anthers.

The anthers are medium to large in size, all opening at about the sametime. The color just prior to dehiscence is near Yellow-Orange, 15C.

There is a moderate amount of pollen which is near Yellow-Orange, 15C,in color.

The pistils are approximately 35 in number, this being average.

The styles are moderately even, short to average length, averagecaliper, and loosely bunched.

The stigma is near Red, 45A, in color.

The ovaries are usually all enclosed in the calyx.

This new variety does not naturally set hips in Ontario, Calif., and forthat reason no sepals or seeds are described.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves usually comprise 3 to 5 leaflets. They are fromnormal to abundant, of medium size for miniature roses, heavy tosomewhat leathery and semi-glossy. The leaflets are oval, with apexacute, base round and margin doubly serrate.

The upper surface of the mature foliage is between Green, 131A, andYellow-Green, 147A, in color. The under surface is near Green, 138A.

The young foliage is near Green, 137A, washed heavily with near Red,53A, on its upper surface. The under surface is near Red, 53A.

The rachis is average in size, grooved on its upper side, with somestipitate glands on the edges. The under side is moderately smooth, withstipitate glands.

The stipules are medium-length to long, medium-width, with medium-lengthto long points turning out at an angle of more than 45°.

The plant displays a more than average resistance to mildew whencompared to other commercialized varieties grown under comparableconditions in Ontario, Calif.

GROWTH

The plant is a dwarf variety, bushy and much branched. Its growth isvigorous, with canes which are medium to heavy caliper for miniatureroses.

The main stems are near Yellow Green, 146A, in color. They bear fewlarge prickles which are medium-length, almost straight to hookedslightly downward, with a moderately short broad base. The largeprickles are near Greyed-Orange, 175C, in color. There are no smallprickles and no hairs.

The branches are between Green, 143A, and Green, 139A, in color. Theybear from few to several large prickles which are medium-length, almoststraight to hooked slightly downward, with a moderately short broadbase. These large prickles are near Greyed Orange, 164A, in color. Thereare no small prickles and no hairs.

New shoots are near Greyed Purple, 183C, in color. They bear severallarge prickles which are medium-length, almost straight to hookedslightly downward, with a moderately short broad base. The color ofthese large prickles is near Greyed Red, 182A. There are no smallprickles and no hairs.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the hybridminiature class, substantially as herein shown and described, and beingespecially characterized in the profusion of its blooms throughout thegrowing season, and the uniformity of the coral and pink coloration ofthe same, said plant being vigorous and hardy and of somewhat higherthan average resistance to mildew, under comparable growing conditions.